Cylinder and cylinder head connecting unit



E. L. MILLER 2,796,306

CYLINDER AND CYLINDER HEAD CONNECTING UN'IT June 18, 1957 INVENTOR EZ'AeZ l mzler ATTORNEY W M m m Q I 1 VMM MW fi z B a 5 I 5 u 5 2 a R, 5 w

United tates Ethel L. Miller, Kings Mountain, N. C. Application April 30, 1956, Serial No. 581,767

Claims. 01. 309-2 This invention relates to a novel connecting unit for securing a cylinder head to an end of a driving cylinder of a spinning, twisting, spooling or quilling machine or other machine of the type employing driving cylinders for driving tapes or bands which drive spindles.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a connecting unit which can be utilized with conventional cylinder heads for securing an end of a cylinder thereto and which will require no modification of the cylinder end or cylinder head, and by means of which the cylinder and cylinder head can be readily disconnected without detaching the connecting unit from the cylinder head or without completely detaching or removing any of the parts of the connecting unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connecting unit by which an end of a driving cylinder can be clamped immovably to a cylinder head and with the end of the cylinder disposed perfectly concentric relative to the axis of the cylinder head.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away, looking toward the outer side of the cylinder head with the drive shaft thereof shown in cross section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged diametrical sectional view thereof, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a part of the connecting unit shown removed from the cylinder head and cylinder;

Figure 5 is an enlarged radial sectional view, taken sub-l stantially along a plane as indicated by the line 55. of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is an end elevational view looking toward the outer end of one of the fastenings of the connecting unit.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, for the purpose of illustrating a preferred application and use of the connecting unit, designated generally 8 and comprising the invention, one end of a conventional driving cylinder 9 of the type employed in spinning, twisting, spooling or quilling machines or the like is illustrated in conjunction with a conventional cylinder head 10 and a stub shaft 11 for driving the cylinder head and the cylinder 9 which is connected thereto. The cylinder head 10 has a hub 12 provided with a bore 13 to receive an end of the stub shaft 11. The bore 13 has a keyway 14 which is aligned with a keyway 15 of the stub shaft 11 to receive a key 16 by which the head 10 is keyed to the shaft 11. A setscrew 17 is threaded radially through a bore 18 of the hub 12 into the keyway 14 and against the key 16 to clamp the key immovably in the keyways 14 and 15. The head 10 has Patent C) ice an outer portion 19 which is provided with an annular peripheral surface 20 and an annular flange 21 which extends outwardly from the surface 20 at the outer end of said portion 19 and which forms an annular inwardly facing shoulder at the outer end of the surface 20. Said peripheral surface 20 is disposed concentric with respect to the axis of the head 10 and the bore 13. The parts previously described are of conventional construction and have been illustrated and briefly described merely to afford a full understanding of the connecting unit 8.

The connecting unit 8 comprises an inner ring 22, an outer ring 23,v a plurality of screws 24 and a plurality of screws 25. v

The inner ring 22 includes an end portion which is internally recessed and provided with circumferentially spaced slots 26 which cooperate with the internal recess 27 thereof to form a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate fingers 28 each of which is of a thickness less than the thickness of the other outer portion 29 of the inner ring 22 and the recessed inner surface 27 of each.

of which fingers 23 is spaced outwardly with respect to the annular inner face 30 of the outer ring portion 29. Said outer ring portion 29 is provided with a plurality, preferably four equally spaced radially disposed threaded openings 31.

The outer ring 23 is of the same width or length as the inner ring 22, as seen in Figure 5, and the outer portion thereof is provided with threaded openings 32 spaced the same distance apart and of the same size as the openings 31. The inner annular portion of the outer ring 23 is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced threaded openings 33, corresponding in number to the spring fingers 28.

The outer annular portion 29 of the inner ring 22 is of an internal size so that its inner face 30 will fit snugly around and against a portion of the periphery 20, as seen in Figures 2 and 5. The outer edge of the ring portion 29 abuts the inner side of the annular flange or shoulder 21. When the inner ring is thus disposed, the inner edge portion thereof is disposed substantially in radial alignment with the inner edge of the peripheral surface 20 and the recessed inner faces 27 of the fingers 28 are spaced from the surface 20 a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the cylinder 9, so that an end of the cylinder will fit between the fingers 28 and the annular portion of the surface 28 which is surrounded by said fingers, as seen in Figures 2 and 5. The outer ring'23 is disposed over the inner ring 22 and likewise has its outer edge abutting against the annular flange or shoulder 21, and is oriented so that the openings 32 thereof align with the openings 31 to receive the screw fastenings 24. The screw fastenings 24 are threaded through the openings 32 and 31 and against portions of the periphery 20 for detachably securing the connecting unit 8 immovably to the head 10. When the rings 22 and 23 are thus connected together and to the head 10 by the screws 24, the openings 33 are disposed substantially midway of the ends of the spring fingers 23, as seen in Figure 3. The screws 25 are threaded inwardly into the openings 33 and are adapted to be tightened for deflecting the spring fingers 28, engaged thereby, inwardly for tightly clamping the end of the cylinder 9 between the peripheral surface 2% and said fingers 28. The ring 22 is formed of steel or other material possessing suflicient resiliency so that the fingers 28 can be deflected inwardly when the screws 25 are tightened thereagainst. As seen in Figure 2, the cylinder 9 is provided with an opening 34 through which a tool, not shown, can be inserted to engage the setscrew 17, for tightening or loosening said setscrew.

It will thus be apparent that a connecting unit of extremely simple construction has been provided which;

may be utilized with conventional cylinder heads and cylinders for effectively clamping a cylinder end to a cylinder head. It will be understood that the connecting unit 8 need not be removed for detaching the cylinder 9 from. the head 10-. The. screws 24 arev normally. not, loosened once the unit 8'is applied. to'the head 10v andz-it. iswonly necessary to loosenthe. screws 25for detaching the cylinder from the. head. Thus, no par-tsof the unit18 are detached or disconnected from other parts of said unit or from the head 10.. The screws Hand 25?: are preferably Allen screws, as seen in Figures Sand 6.

The connecting unit 8 may obviously be. made in various sizes to accommodate'cylinders and heads of.difierent sizes.

Various other modifications and changes arecontemplated'and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of'the invention as hereinafter defined by the. appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a cylinder ofthe character described and a cylinder head for mounting an end of the cylinder and having an annular periphery around which the end of the cylinder snugly fits; a connecting unit comprising an inner ring and an. outer ring, said inner ring having an outer portion fitting snugly around apart of the cylinder head periphery and an inner portion consisting ofa series of circumferentially spaced: spring fingers, the portion of said inner ring forming sai-d fingers being internally recessed for spacing the inner sides of said fingers from the periphery of the cylinder head for defining a substantially annular space. therebetween in which said cylinder end is received, said outer ring fitting. snugly around the inner ring and having an inner portion provided with circumferentially spaced radially disposed threaded openings, the number of said openings corresponding to the number of said fingers, said'openings be.- ing disposed substantially intermediate of the ends of the fingers and adjacent the inner free edges thereof, and clamping screws threadedly engaging said openings and having inner ends bearing against the spring fingers when said screws are tightened for deflecting the spring fingers inwardly to clamp said cylinder end between said fingers and the cylinder head periphery and for securing said. rings immova-bly to one another and to the cylinder head.

2. In a combination as defined by claim 1, wherein said outer ring includes an outer portiondisposed around the outer portion of said inner ring, the outer portions of' said inner and outer rings being providedwwith corresponding threaded openings radially alignedf-or orienting said clamping screws with the clamping fingers, and set-- screws threadedly engaging said aligned openings of the innerand outer rings for retaining said rings in oriented relation, the inner ends of'said setscrews bearing against the cylinder head periphery for securing the rings-inn. :movably thereto when the clamping screws are loosened.

3. In combination with a cylinder of the character described and a cylinder head for mounting an end of the cylinder and having an annular periphery around which the end of the cylinder snugly fits; a connecting unit for securing said cylinder end to the cylinder head comprising an inner ring and an outer ring, said inner. ring having an outer portion fitting snugly around an outer portion of the cylinder head periphery and a recessed inner portion disposed concentrically around and radially spaced from an inner portion of said periphery to define an annular inwardly opening space in which said cylinder end isreceived, said recessed inner portion of the inner ring being provided with ci-rcumferentially spaced cutout portions forming a plurality of circumferentially spaced yieldable clamping fingers, said outer ring having a' fitting; engagement around the inner: ring and including an inner portion disposed around said: clamping fingers, and. means carried by said innerportion ofthe outer ring and adjustable for exertingvan inward pressure against the spring; fingers for deflectingzthe.

clamping fingers inwardly for. clamping said cylinder end between the clamping fingers and said periphery.

4. 'In a combination as defined-by claim 3, and wherein said connecting unit includes means connecting the outer portion of the inner ring to a portion of the outer ring which is disposed th'erearound for orienting said rings relative to one another and for detachably securing the rings to the cylinder head.

5. In combinationwith a cylinder of the character'described and a cylinder head for mounting an fiIldrOf the cylinder and havingan annular periphery around which said. end of the cylinder snugly fits; a connecting-unit for securing said cylinder end to the cylinder head comprising an inner ring and an outer ring, said inner ringhaving a portion fitting snuglyaround apart of thecylinder head periphery beyond said cylinder end and an internally recessed portion overlying and disposed around said cylinder end, said internally recessed portion of the inner ring being provided with circumferentially spaced cutout portions forming .a plurality of circumferentially spaced' spring fingers, said outer ring having a fitting engagement around the inner ring, and means extending radially through said outer ring and bearing against-said spring fingers, said means being adjustable in said outer ring-for exerting an inward pressure against the spring fingers for deflecting said fingers inwardly to clamp the cylinder end between the cylinder head and said spring fingers No references cited- 

